Electric switch



April 11, 1944. E. E. JOHNSON ELECTRIC SWITCH File-d Jan. 30, 1941 Hlll ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 11, 1944 ELECTRIC SWITCH Elmer E. Johnson, Bronson,

H. A. Douglas Mfg. C poration ot Michigan Mich., assignor to Bronson, Mich., a cor- Application January 30, 1941, Serial No. 376,636

7 Claims.

This invention relates generally to electric switches and more particularly to switches of the reciprocatory type.

One particular object of the invention is to provide improved means for operatively connecting together the operating means and switch mechanism of an electric switch.

More speciiically, the invention is directed to a switch structure including, among other things, switch mechanism, operating means therefor, and a. retaining member acted upon by a part of the mechanism for holding the operating means in relation to the mechanism.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent after reading the description hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the drawing which illustrates at least one modiication to which the invention is susceptible:

Figure 1 is a top view of the switch;

Figure 2 is a top view of the switch shown in Figure 1, with its closure member or contact carrier removed in order to clearly show certain parts of the switch mechanism;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken substantially on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

'Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse section taken substantially on line 4-4 of Figure 2, showing certain details:

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical section taken substantially on line 5 5 of Figure l illustrating other details of construction;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the bridge means and carrier supporting the same; and

Figure 7 is a bottom plan view of the contact carrier or closure member of the switch.

In the drawing, numeral l generally designates a switch casing; 2 a contact carrier; 3 switch mechanism; 4 operating means for said switch mechanism; and 5 is a retaining member for holding the operating means in relation to the switch mechanism.

The switch casing which may be of conventional form, includes a bottom wall 6, side walls, and end walls. casing supports a tubular bearing member 8, within which is slidably disposed the operating means 4 which is in the form of a cylindrical rod.

'Ihe carrier 2 may likewise be of conventional form, and is preferably secured to the upper extremity of the switch casing by providing a plurality of ngers on the casing which project through suitable apertures or recesses provided The end wall 'I of the upon the upper surface of the carrier for securing same in place as clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. A plurality of yelectrical connection means such as the contacts 9, I0, and Il, as illustrated in Figures 1, 5, and '1, are secured to the carrier 2 for engagement with the equally spaced contacts I2, I3, and I4, respectively, provided on the bridge means I5, when the switch is moved to a predetermined operative position to control a certain electrical circuit. The bridge means l5 is supported upon a. carrier I6 ot insulating material. Obviously, when the switch mechanism 3 is moved to any other operating position by the rod 4, all or certain of the contacts provided on the bridge member will engage other contacts carried by the carrier 2. The

contact carrier 2 and the electrical connection' means carried thereby form no part of the present invention.

The switch mechanism generally designated 3 includes, among other` things, a generally U- shaped guide member il, having a bottom wall i8, and upturned side walls I9 and 20. This 'guide member Il is adapted for reciprocatory movement within the switch casing l, and its bottom wall I8 is preferably provided with a plurality of detents which cooperate with spaced apart sets of pockets, such as 2 I, provided in the bottom wall Ii of the casing. The only detent illustrated is indicated at 22 in Figure 5. Thus. the detents and pockets provide means for predetermining the various positions of the switch mechanism; in other words, when the detents 22 l register with certain of the pockets 2l. certain of the contacts provided on the bridge means I5 engage certain of the contacts mounted on the carrier.

The bridge means I5 and its associated carrier are resiliently mounted within the guide I I by means of a helical spring 23. The upper extremity of this spring bears against the carrier I6, and its other extremity bears against the upper'surface of the retaining member 5, and encircles an inturned or upstanding protuberance 24, provided more or less centrally on the bottom wall I8 of the guide. By this arrangement, the bridge means I5 and the retaining member 5 are urged in opposite directions, and the retaining member is pressed against the bottom wall of the guide, and at the same time urges the bottom wall `of the guide against the bottom wall of the switch casing.

The principles of design and construction emtherefor in the can-ier, and are bent over and bodied in the retaining member 5, and its relation to the guide and operating means will now be described. The retaining member 5 is preferably of a size somewhat less than the size of the bottom wall of the guide, and includes a generally planar portion which engages said bottom wall, and this planar portion is preferably provided with a generally circular aperture whereby to receive the protuberance 24, above referred to. One side of the retaining member is preferably provided with a continuation 25. a portion of which is arranged above and in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the planar portion of the member. It is to be noted, however, that the side of the member 5 opposite the continuation is of suilicient width to more or less engage the side wall I9, in order to assist in preventing rotation of the member relative to the guide. 'Ihe continuation or offset 25 is preferably provided with a channel portion 26 conforming generally to the curvature .of the rod 4. The upturned side wall of the guide is provided with an opening 2, and the bottom wall of the guide is provided with a generally rectangular or square shaped opening 28, which is communicatively connected to the opening 2. The opening 21 includes an entrance recess 29, and a vertical slot 30 intersecting said recess. The rod 4 is provided with a reduced portion or neck 3 l, set back a short distance from the inner end 32 of the rod.

In view of the foregoing, it should be apparent that the switch mechanism and rod may be easily and quickly assembled together by inserting the inner end of the rod into the openings 28 and 21, so that the neck portion 3| of the rod registers or fits within the slot 30. The retaining member 5 is then placed in the guide Il so that the channel portion 28 thereof engages the end portion 32 of the rod projecting into the guide, and through the agency of the helical spring 23 bearing against the retaining member, the channel portion 25 is at all times pressed upwardly against the rod 4 so as to hold the rod latched or connected to the guide which forms a part of the switch mechanism. Obviously those portions of the rod directly on each side of the reduced portion 3| provide abutments which engage the opposite sides of the side wall 2ll of the guide. The retaining member 5 is preferably so constructed and arranged that when it is rst inserted into the guide member and is in engagement with the rod, it assumes a more or less tilted position, so that the pressure exerted by the spring will cause the channel portion 26 to constantly press the rod upwardly into registry with the slot 30 in order to avoid any possible slight vibration between the parts.

Accordingly, it should be evident that improved means have been provided whereby the switch mechanism and operating means of an electric switch may be operatively connected together. Moreover, it is apparent that means have been provided for predetermining the position of the retaining member of the character described with respect to the guide member, and that the various parts constituting the switch may be easily and quickly assembled on a production basis.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of the invention; and, therefore, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts herein shown and described.

I claim:

1. An electric switch including, a casing, a. carrier carrying contacts mounted on said casing, means movably disposed in said casing supporting bridge means, operating means, means providing a latched connection between said movable means and said operating means. and means associated with said bridge means acting to press said operating means toward said carrier and hold said connection latched.

2. An electric switch including, a casing, a carrier carrying contacts mounted on said casing, a guide member disposed in said casing, spring pressed bridge means arranged in said guide, an operating element having a part loosely connected to said guide, and a separate retaining member carried by the guide and acted upon by the spring of said bridge means pressing against the operating element for preventing disconnection of said operating element and said guide member.

3. An electric switch including, a switch casing, a carrier carrying contacts supported by said casing, a guide member movably mounted in said casing, bridge means supported on a carrier carried by said guide member, actuating means eX- tending into said casing and loosely connected to said guide member, a retaining member carried by said guide member engaging said actuating means, positioning means of which a part is provided on said guide member and a part is provided on a wall of said switch casing, and resilient means carried by said guide member functioning to urge said bridge means in a direction toward said contacts and said retaining member against said actuating means for holding said actuating means connected to said guide member and at the same time press said retaining member against said guide in a direction whereby that part of said positioning means on said guide member will cooperate with' that part of said positioning means provided on the wall of said switch casing.

4. An electric switch including, a switch casing supporting a carrier provided with contacts, a guide member supporting bridge means for said contacts, means for actuating said guide extending into said casing and connected to said guidel a locking element arranged substantially within the connes of said guide member engaging said actuating means, and resilient means disposed between said bridge means and said locking element for urging same in opposite directions whereby said locking element prevents disconnection of said actuating means with respect to said guide member and urges said bridge means in a direction toward said contacts.

5. An electric switch including, a switch casing provided with contacts, switching mechanism arranged in said casing, bridge means provided with means for urging same toward said contacts, actuating means extending into said casing and connected to said switching mechanism, and means disposed within the confines of said switch mechanism acted upon by said urging means pressing against said actuating means whereby to prevent the latter from becoming disconnected from seid switch mechanism.

6. An electric switch including, a switch casing, switch mechanism disposed in said casing, actuating means extending into said casing and connected to said switch mechanism, said mechanism including a generally flat wall with a projection and a dat member provided with an aperture receiving said projection, and means acting on said flat member to maintain the latter in a position whereby said actuating means is prevented from becoming disconnected from said mechanism.

7. An electric switch including, a casing, a carrier carrying contactsv carried by the casing. bridge means and means supporting same for movement with respect to said contacts, receiving means on said supporting means, means 'extending into said casing and into said receiving means for actuating said supporting means, and means pressing said actuating means toward said contacts for holding said actuating means interlocked with said receiving means.

ELMER E. JOHNSON. 

